Generating and consuming energy inevitably produces wastes that can be harmful to the environment. Different sources of energy have different environmental consequences. For example, the burning of fossil fuels releases a range of gases and particles, but the mix of gases varies between natural gas, various grades of coal, and petroleum. Reductions in greenhouse gas emissions through increases in renewable energy sources such as wind can be tracked and documented by this indicator.

The ABARE data concerning refinery input and output for the production of petroleum products were not separately available due to confidentiality, but were included in totals where appropriate. Coke consumption was also unable to be published in ABARE because of confidentiality restrictions. It should also be noted that where the total energy consumption is quoted that it is the total quantity (in energy units) of primary and derived fuels consumed less the quantity of derived fuels produced.

Secondary impacts can occur in the energy supply stream that are not usually included in energy accounting e.g. construction and maintenance of infrastructure involved in such projects as hydro-electricity generation and wind farms (Internal linkNSW EPA 2000).

In Tasmania it is unclear if wind farms generate more energy over their life-time than they consume in their manufacture because of the lack of detailed studies in the State. However, Danish studies do indicate that a modern wind turbine does recover all energy consumed during its manufacture, operation, maintenance and decommissioning and this study has been deemed applicable to Tasmanian wind turbines (Internal linkHydro Tasmania 2003).

Records for town gas and solar energy consumption in Tasmania began in 1973-74 (Internal linkABARE 2008) and they have remained minor energy sources since then. Variations in town gas consumption between 1973 and 2004, range from 0.05-0.18 PJ, with an increase of 0.01 PJ (10%) between 1998 and 2004. The consumption of solar energy has gradually increased since records began, but there was very little change between 1998 and 2007 apart from an unsustained 5% increase in the year 2000-02.

Energy Use (PJ) (%) by Energy Source in Tasmania (2003-04) and (2006-07)

Major Fuel Types

Tas PJ (%)

Tas PJ (%)

Aust PJ (%) (a)

Aust PJ (%) (a)

(2003-04)

(2006-07)

(2003-04)

(2006-07)

Non-renewable fuels

Petroleum products

39.9 (36.1%)

40.6 (32.2%)

1881.9 (34.7%)

2000.8 (34.7%)

Black coal

9.8 (11.2%)

14.9 (11.8%)

1565.6 (28.9%)

1664.3 (28.8%)

Natural gas

8.0 (7.2%)

10.2 (12.8%)

1059.4 (19.5%)

1157.0 (20.1%)

Town gas

0.1 (0.1%)

0.1 (0.1%)

5.1 (0.1%)

7.8 (0.1%)

Renewable fuels

Hydro

35.4 (32.0%)

29.7 (23.6%)

56.7 (1.1%)

49.3 (1.0%)

Wood, woodwaste

13.1 (11.8%)

14.6 (11.6%)

97.2 (1.8%)

92.8 (1.6%)

Solar (b)

0.0 (0.0%)

0.0 (0.0%)

2.6 (0.0%)

2.4 (0.0%)

Thermal Electricity

5.3 (4.8%)

4.2 (3.3%)

809.6 (14.9%)

855.4 (14.8%)

Total Electricity

41.1 (37.2%)

46.3 (36.8%)

866.4 (16.0%)

941.3 (16.3%)

Total (c)
>

110.6 (100.0%)

125.9 (100%)

5422.4 (100.0%)

5769.80 (100%)

a) Only fuel types consumed in Tasmania are presented for comparative purposes.

b) Solar energy is utilised, but at present is still insignificant relative to the other fuel sources.

c) Total energy consumption is the total quantity (in energy units) of primary and derived fuels consumed less the quantity of derived fuels produced. Energy sources used in the production of derived fuels include coke, town gas and thermal electricity.

Coke consumption has not been published due to confidentiality restrictions.

There are 28 hydro-electric stations (owned by Hydro Tasmania) in Tasmania across seven major catchments. They have a total installed capacity of approximately 2,260 MW. The total usable storage is equivalent to greater than 16 months of Tasmania's total electricity generation (Internal linkDIER 2004).

Over the year between 2004-2005 inflow into the hydro lakes dropped to around 75 % of average. This was the eighth straight year of below average inflow. Below average rainfall was recorded in hydro catchments for each month over this 12 month period (Internal linkHydro Tasmania 2005). This continued into 2008, where three years of drought conditions dropped capacity to 19.1% in June 2008 (Internal linkHydro Tasmania 2008). More information relating to water storage can be found in the water storage indicator.

Tasmania has been connected to the Australian natural gas network through the Tasmanian Natural Gas Project. An undersea transmission gas pipeline was constructed across Bass Strait, conveying natural gas from Victoria to Tasmania. Prior to this Tasmania was only consuming a very small amount of Town gas (see above graph).

Stage one of the Project began connection and gas supply in 2003 for large-medium industrial and commercial customers, and for some domestic customers close to the initial distribution network. In the second stage of the Project (commencing 2005), the connection and supply of gas to about 38, 500 Tasmanian households and other small businesses was anticipated to be completed by April 2007 (Internal linkDIER 2004), but has fallen well short with only 5,047 at June 30 2008 (Internal linkOffice of the Tasmanian Economic Regulator 2008).

Within the structure of State of the Environment Tasmania, an indicator can be related or associated with any number of issue reports (or vice versa). The data within an indicator is used to inform an issue report and any related recommendations. A summary of this indicator, including it's relevance to the particular issue, can be found within the 'Indicator' section of each of the linked issue reports below.